The Distinctive Buckle for the unit was cast in Col. Fisher's foundaries in Company Shops, modern Burlington, or Charlotte. The hooks on the back were poorly attached and tended to break early but are well sought after by collectors today. Few Confederate units had regimental designation buckles and the 6th was on of them.
The
History of the Cedar Fork Rifles
The Sounds of Battle, No More
Once the guns had silenced and the swords of war sheathed, the soldiers returned home. Their society and their world as they knew it was turned upside down in the devastation of war and reformed in its wake. York returned in 1865 and entered the University of Chapel Hill, studying law under W.H. Battle. Two years he completed his studies and admitted to the North Carolina bar. He returned to the enjoyment he found in being a Mason and formed another lodge in the community of Moringsville in upper Chatham. The Manuel Fetter Lodge No. 275 was started in the upper level of a school located there, chartered in 1867 and lasting for nine years. Many of his old comrades joined him at these meetings and a year later, several of his old men came together and named the Richard Wat York Lodge No 281 in his honor for his Masonic service during their army years. But he did not leave his interest in education untended.
In July of 1868, his father Brantly York and mother, came to visit. It was the first since the end of the war. Rev. York gave sermons at several local churches and ever tireless found enough interest to form grammar classes. At Mt. Pisgah Church one class went for 40 days, followed by several 20 day classes. This interest lead to the formation of Northeast Academy. By January of 1869, this school in upper Chatham County became the Ruffin Badger Institute. York would teach many classes here and eventually start the Chatham Education Association becoming it's first president. This group operated for about four years.
In a book called Our Living and Our Dead, a North Carolina periodical under the Southern Historical Journal, York wrote two articles from his home in San Marino, Chatham County. The first called, The "Old Third" Brigade and the Death of General Bee, was written by Maj. York on October 17, 1874 from San Marino in Chatham County. A second article called "Hoods Release from arrest at South Mountain" was written later in this same publication. It seems that York enjoyed writing and took up contributing articles to the Durham Recorder newspaper and others, both North and South. These articles ranged from historical incidents in England's to his hatred of Mormons and the government's Indian policies, to incidents from his war service.
It is interesting to read these articles from York's pen and learn of his true feelings.. One letter written from his home near William's Mills in July of 1886, York states, "Let not the fact be forgotten that the Republican Party was not organized for the overthrow of slavery in the states." In addition, he advocated the adherance of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's wishes for all of his soldiers to return to their home and be good citizens. The Old Major did keep in contact with many of his old commrades in arms. An advertisement in the Durham Recorder on September 17, 1886 notified all old soldiers of the 6th N.C. to meet in the mayors office in Durham to discuss setting up a committee to plan a reunion. On the 25th of September the old soldiers met and discussed plans to gather the remanents of the regiment. Richard York and J.F. Williams were two of the representatives for Company I. Finally, on January 19, 1887, seventeen members of the old regiment from Orange, Alamance, Person, and Graham Counties met at Lockhart's tobacco warehouse to once again relive old times past. York was the hit of the party. He related one story which told why his company was called the "Bee Gum Company". The Durham paper wrote:
"One night at Gettesburg, Pullen Williams of Chatham wanted to raid a farm but could not get through the picket line. he went to York's tent and stole his coat and hat. He came back wih a whole gum of honey."
Another story which York tells is his experience with the healing properties of alcohol:
"I was sitting on a log in the road when I saw 3 men bringing a wounded soldier towards me. It was Anderson [Johnson] and he was telling them good-bye, that he was going to die & c. There was an ugly wound in his breast from whichthe blood was oozing but I cheered him up by giving him two or three drinks, and sent him to the hospital. That was the last I saw of Anderson until on day I found him sitting in a wagon with a bowl of milk between his knees. I expected him t die and so did the surgeon but he pulled through."
Later that year another veterans reunion was held in Pittsboro in Chatham County. August 2 found the old soldiers uniting to talk about their old service. Richard York donated for display several unique artifacts to the reunion. Some of the most unique are his bronze dress sword, presented to him from Col. Ed Norwood of the Chatham militia at the outbreak of the war, which York wore at First Manassas to Seven Pines. His Confederate issue sword damaged in the assault on Culp's Hill during the battle of Gettysburg. Autographed letter of Colonel Fisher, written two months before his demise at First Manassas, his Masonic Royal Arch collar, apron and gavel which was captured by the Fedearal and purchased from them and presented to York at Petersburg, 1865, and a piece of the rope which hung John Brown in 1859.
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